The UAFC

Always watch the video clips and usually replay them a few times after download.

Dial-up has always been the logical one for me to select and I do. I have however (once) tried an experiment with the 'broadband' option basically to see if there was any quality difference in the 2 options - I got fed up waiting for the broadband download presumably because of a much larger file size.

The dial-up option is acceptable in all respects and I am very happy that it is offered as an option.

Aye, well, thats correct, the file size is bigger for broadband, and the quality if better when the file has been downloaded. This is the kind of thing I am interested in, to see how many people use dial-up or broadband, and to see how better I can optimise the viewing experience for those who have slower connection speeds. For example, I introduced a moving graphic the other day to the home page. It's about 40kb, and possibly a tad large for those on dialup. It's this kind of info I am looking into for future use.

I presume you refer to the 'light show' behind the anon. model - is he Count Karlstein? - that has not given me any problem at all.

It may be that the order of download of the elements of a page and their on-screen presentation could be significant to the end user 'feel' for a site. e.g. If you access a page where the download is visibly progressing, you are more inclined to stick with it. Where this does not happen, I tend to move away.

I have moved on from the Saracens site a number of times as it appears to me that little/nothing is going on. When you stick with it, you get to the stage where the whole (main site) page gets presented complete but meanwhile you are bored/frustrated looking at a black screen.

Hope that also assists you in your market research into clip clops!

Clippety clop, clippety clop - why is that so, so familiar to me? Did someone read me a story in my childhood?

I am in full agreement with Cables on the Sarries site, great site( not as good as this though )but it takes over 10 minutes to load the front page on dial up Don't ever go down the route of high graphic flash intro pages

Rooster

anyone offering wireless broadband in your neck of the woods?

It's a reasonably popular option down here in areas where Eircom are dragging their heels.

The problem with wireless broadband is you need a reasonable population density to make the investment in a base station worthwhile, it works well in cities where even a small percentage of take-up can be a reasonable number of customers. It is more of a challenge in the country.

The same argument applies to wired broadband though Paul. Rural areas are often the last to be provisioned because the telcos don't envisage a significant return on the investment. Much more lucrative in the short term to concentrate on the cities for both fixed and wireless.

No wireless up here in this area Barney, BT claim broadband is available to anyone in the UK, this is true because they will offer the chance to access the satellite system if you can not get it through cables, the problem is the extortionate cost for a crap speed, particularly in upload. The bit that really pi$$es me off is the fact that they have an interconnector fibre cable from North to South going past the end of the road but will only let very big business accounts access it. It is bad enough living in the sticks in most areas but if you live along the border on either side no one wants to bother with you in the communications world either fixed or mobile

Errrr.... 10M here in London from Telewest Broadband Cable...

Errrr.... 10M here in London from Telewest Broadband Cable...

In Europe they were doing something like 13 or more MB.

Positivly slow Mike when you consider if you lived in Tokyo it would be 40Mb with some connections 100Mb I'd be happy with 10Kb

Japan is the space age.

NTL have just sent me an email regarding a 10mb connection availability.

They say:
"With more speed, users spend more time online."

Que?

well I'll be honest cables - on moving from dial-up to broadband I definitely came to spend more time on line - because it was just too frustrating on dialup. Since then it has really been content such as this site that has made the biggest impact on my online time.